Season Round Up

Red Dreams: The Diary of a Memorable Year



There is no real ending. It's just where you decide to stop the story. I was 12 on that fateful night, when with a broken heart, I almost decided to call it quits at well after my  prescribed bed time with the tele on mute and the Reds staring at the face of a humiliating defeat at the hands of what was arguably the best team in the world  at that time. After a brief interlude of raiding the refrigerator in search of something sweet to wash away the savory aftertaste induced by the events that had transpired in the first half at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, I decided to tune into ESPN once again to see if things could actually get any worse. The rest of the story is etched in history.



What had happened was nothing short of a miracle. There we were, thrown into the deep end of the footballing pool of Europe. When you look at the statistics of such a match up, the disparity is overwhelming at least on paper. In today's economic climate each of these players on the team sheet of our opponents would've commanded  record transfer fees. On the one hand was a team of well drilled stars helmed by Carlo Ancelotti and the other, a ragtag bunch of relatively less established Scousers led out to the field after a mauling in the first half by their native son who was true to the arm band and kept up the faith, that with the liver bird emblazoned on his chest and resilience in his heart, there was no narrative whose plot was too difficult to overturn.

The first half was truly a debacle. The sense of occasion and the calibre of our opponents had caught the team  off guard as the Milanese ran rings around our defense to put the ball into the back of the net no less than thrice while a million miles away Reds fans across the world  who sat glued to the screen winced in despair. Disbelief was unanimously the shared sentiment of the moment.

The events that proceed this juncture in time is part of folklore that has been oft repeated through the following years and more frequently of late since the boy who kindled that comeback from the jaws of defeat with a raw injection of passion has decided to call time on his playing career at Anfield, only to walk into the sunset as a man who has lived through the highs and lows of a football club and more importantly, of a city.



When I look back at my years as a Liverpool supporter, there were some good years, and some less so. Many great players have plied their trade at Merseyside but the only true constant has been Steven Gerrard and the club's hunger to improve and relive the days of dominance of yesteryears. But the hallmark of the club has been its supporters who have stood behind the players and backed managers who were under fire even during the lean years. We were tremendously close to winning the league last season  but in many respects, this season represents an inflection point in the life of the club, not merely because it's favourite son is leaving home but because as a club, we are at a fundamental crossroads with no sense of direction as was illustrated by our last couple of performances this season.



I have been an admirer of Brendan Rodgers in the past and clarify that I still hold him in high regard but what has happened this season warrants justification that has been hard to come by. One could argue that last season's performances were a collective effort but still rode high on the shoulders of our two main hit men who managed knit up one of the most lethal partnerships in Europe and as a fan of the Reds it gives me great grief to think of what might have been after watching Luis Suarez's performances in Catalonia.



This brings me back to the fundamental question that has been haunting me ever since that lamentable display against Stoke on the last day of the season, the only consolation being our skipper signing off his illustrious career in the Premier League with a well taken goal. This was not the exit he deserved but such were the designs of fate for the man who defied fate as boy on that hallowed turf at Istanbul.


The bigger picture, however warrants introspection. Are we spiralling into mediocrity and has securing a top four berth become the holy grail for a club that boasts one of the most heavily leaden trophy cabinets in the world, populated by all the major silverware that talent and sheer hard work can barter?



It is true that the departure of Suarez, and Daniel Sturridge's constant injury problems have dented our campaign this year but question marks need to be raised on our new recruits and how much Rodgers has been able to extract out of them. The most easily distinguishable facet of our transfer policy this season has been the lack of ambition and course correction ought to be done in a brisk manner if we are to stem this tide that is drawing us further away from the shores where we used to be anchored at. A total of 117 million pounds was spent in the transfer market last season, and with the exception of a handful, most of the new signings have failed to live up to their billing.

Moreover, Rodger's handling of the post Suarez situation has to be taken into account and the Raheem Sterling saga makes matters even more complicated. Liverpool are a club with a history, a unique identity that new money clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City cannot compete with and as supporters of the Reds, what we expect are not mindless splurges every transfer window but to watch our players exhibit the desire to succeed and give their best every time they step on to the field in the Red of Liverpool, a sentiment that quite sadly is lost on the likes of Mario Balotelli.



This season has been quite an epochal one in our recent history. From being within touching distance of the league title and Stevie G's inspiring "We go again!" battle cry to languishing at the foot of the top half of the table before the Christmas period, we pulled up our socks and had a decent run of games that saw us propelled back to within touching distance of the top four, only to fall short in the home stretch. One can say that we tried, but weren't good enough. True fans will be loyal to their club but a little bit of soul searching would help in diagnosing the problem at hand, and this can be done by appropriating the blame fairly in order to pick out our weak links.

Most of the teams we bested in our great run of form mid season were those that we would normally be expected to beat, with the exception of Manchester City. Against the big teams, we have failed to come up trumps and this reflects a systemic defect in the way the club is being managed. Despite having quite a few competent defenders on the pay rolls, Emre Can was fielded for the majority of the season as a full back while his true potential can be unlocked only if he were to play in midfield, a role in which he performed well, scoring his only goal of the season against Chelsea. Javi Manquillo who has done a considerably decent job when given the chance looks to be frozen out and Dejan Lovren appears to be lost in two minds whenever faced with an onrushing attacker. Another departing servant of the Kop, Glen Johnson seems to have been denied the respect he deserves for his service for the club. Daniel Agger, another Kop favourite whose term predated Rodger's tenure was shown the door last summer in a rather crude manner.



Also, the system of using wing backs has proved to be fatally self destructive against teams which have the pace to punish us, as was illustrated by Juan Mata at Anfield and also by comparatively modest opposition like Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie. While there are contrasting reports in the media regarding the real motives behind Raheem Sterling's wanting out of a club of our stature, one of the reasons that surfaced were his disapproval of being used as a wing back.

Whether Raheem is worth the Sterling is a different matter altogether.

The same goes with Jordan Ibe and to a certain extent with Lazar Markovic who was for a period made to play in that role which being a naturally attack minded player, left him incapable of snuffing out attacks with the safe composed certitude of attack minded defenders such as Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne who are true to their defensive duties, whereas all the players Rodgers has used this season to fit into the role have been played out of position and forced to squander their natural attacking instincts and have thus failed to fully live up to their potential.

The malaise extends further up the field. While Sturridge has been brilliant in the matches that he managed to get under his belt this season, the system of playing a single striker up top seems to have affected our style of play from last season which was full of free flowing passing and Stevie G's characteristic diagonal balls into the feet of our wide men. Much of that has been missing this season, and whenever Moreno had absolved Sterling of his wing back duties, he has been forced to play the lone striker's role, one that he is clearly ill suited to and his finishing and composure in front of goal was found wanting. Another inexplicable personal managerial preference has seen Fabio Borini fall to the bottom of Rodger's pecking order with a relatively sedentary Rickie Lambert and a disinterested, or rather indifferent Mario ahead of him in the priority queue, even though he gave a good account of his abilities while on loan at Sunderland last season, enough to elicit interest from top sides in Italy.



Moreover, it might be considered blasphemous to most of my fellow Reds, but I think Rodger's starting our skipper on the bench for a large part of this season is the real reason that we had to bid adieu and that too in such a disconcerting manner, to the man that taught us to dream, and to believe in the impossible. In all fairness Stevie G has been one of our better players this season, and his being our top scorer further justifies that fact. There is always a time for everything to end but it pretty obvious to most that Steven had lots more to offer to the  club both on the field and off it.



That brings me back to the question of priorities. Discontent has been brewing among the Kop faithful for a while regarding the direction in which their club was headed which was further illustrated by the "Rodger Out. Rafa In" banner that was flown over Anfield during a live game, even though it has been subsequently attributed to some frivolous hooligans. Such incidents are an indicator of the disquiet that has gripped Reds fans world over. The embarrassment at the Britannia Stadium might well have tested the patience of the reactionary among the support base.



Fear of failure is what spurs us on to greatness. Rodgers seems to have lost the primordial instinct of fear and let complacency catch up with him as he settled into his cozy cocoon of security that the long rope thrown to him after the team's exploits last season have endowed him with. His remark regarding him being 150% certain of staying at the job next season before the Stoke game did not go down well the fans after the humbling and the record low to which we succumbed to after the game.

Our slipping into the throes of mediocrity has serious repercussions on our ability to strengthen the squad and bring in top class players to Anfield. An illustration of this can been seen in our reported pursuit of Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez from last season who chose to sign for our rivals because of the perception that Anfield is not as green a pasture as it once was.  This can be the same reason why we're set to lose Sterling.

All the vital signs indicate that the club is not in the pink of health and the only chance of recovery is a blood transfusion. The pall of gloom that has surrounded the club especially after the loss to Stoke can be wished away by the infusion of new blood into the system. We need to learn how to dream again.

One aspect which has hampered our performance this year has been our transfer policy. We need to spend smartly and more selectively. We haven't had a big name signing in a while, while our rivals have continued to splash the cash with moderate success. What we need is a balanced transfer policy that aims to sign the odd established big name player and a few youngsters who have the potential to come into their own at Anfield.



As our captain departs this season, he has left very big boots to fill. The answer to finding a suitor for the responsibility that Stevie has shouldered all along for so many years would be hard to find, but in the long run, I believe successful business deals for the  best players can be done only if we are tactically astute and are seen as a lucrative destination. The dismal performances towards the end of the season have done us no good with respect to this ill feeling. However, form is temporary whereas the  class, history and legacy associated with Liverpool Football Club would be more than enough to tempt the best of the best. I believe we will be served better in this regard with a more established manager who could exert greater leverage over the decisions of prospective buys like Carlo Ancelotti or Rafa Benitez, compounded with the clout of our image in harnessing the goodwill to move the club to the next level.

Brendan Rodgers is a fine manager and has done quite a commendable job at his time here and would perhaps continue to do so if the meetings with FSG Group, at Boston prove to be favourable. But the primary question is whether we want to do better, dream bigger as our charismatic departing skipper has taught us. Three years have gone by under the tenure of Brendan Rodgers which has seen quite a few moments of magic and others of abject dejection.

At times, he has in a sense betrayed the trust of the faithful, like the Champions League game at the Bernabeu where for inexplicable reasons, he fielded a second string team which nevertheless gave a good account of the club, led by Kolo Toure's maverick performance in defense, rolling the back the years on his playing career and displaying the sheer grit all players in Red ought to demonstrate. As a club, our philosophy has always been to perform to the best of our abilities, and in a way that night at the Bernabeu would've gutted loyal supporters including Steven Gerrard who found himself watching the game from the dugout for most of the match while his heart would've been longing to be on the pitch to compete for the crest he has been born and bred with, against the reigning European Champions.



As the exit looms large for Brendan Rodgers's career at Anfield, most supporters have been divided into opposite camps, the more mellow are calling for more time for Rodgers to prove his worth while the reactionary are baying for his head. It is essential for us to be united at this point and not be carried away by emotion over the fact that Steven Gerrard will no longer don the No.8 jersey he has made his own during his glorious career and the sour note on which the symphony of his illustrious career that had held the Kop in raptures for almost two decades had to end.



Most of the questions raised on the leadership of the team and the manager are not only warranted but extremely normal given the tumultuous life of a Liverpool boss. A lot of contenders for Ulsterman's office have thrown their hat into the ring with Carlo Ancelotti and Jürgen Klopp the frontrunners and calls for 'KloppForKop' are growing louder by the day.





It is the prerogative of the owners to decide the future of our managerial office but one thing that all the stakeholders including the ownership, staff, players and fans from all across world would agree is that we need course correction in the trajectory of our performances on the field and that can be accomplished only by analyzing and learning from our mistakes this season. Whether or not that is achieved under the present dispensation or under a new manager is not the pertinent question. Learning from our mistakes is.

There is no real ending. It's just where you decide to stop the story. Unfortunately, there was no fairytale ending for Steven Gerrard but he will always be in the heart of the Kop faithful for all that he has done for the club and teaching us to believe in ourselves even when the chips are down.

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There's a golden sky.



You leave a legend. You'll return a hero. The city of Liverpool and fans world over are always with you.
You'll Never Walk Alone.

- Rohan Abraham